To My Heart, RSVP

by Mina3

Jun knows. Taichi and Yamato know. But what about everyone else? And why do Miyako and Daisuke act so much alike?

1. Part One

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To My Heart, RSVP

[The sequel to 'Strawberry Kiss Kiss.']

by Mina

Standard disclaimers for Digimon Adventure 01 and 02 apply.  Though I think after the blunder that Toei made with Episode 50 of 02 (as well as the whole Yamato/Sora thing _) they should consider letting me take over ownership.  Then I could rewrite the script so that Daiken and Taiyama shippers could shout for joy.  Well, at least have an ambiguous enough ending so that everyone would be happier.

Warnings:  Daiken/Kendai stuff ahead (for the uninitiated, yes, that's shounen ai), as well as some Takehika (and a few mentions of Taiyama).  A little bit of language, but this fic is fairly tame compared to my other stuff.

P.S.  Since I found out from a friend that very few people know what RSVP stands for, I thought I should clarify.  It means repondé s'il vous plait:  French, for 'please respond.'

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Inoue Miyako looked up from her D-terminal as she heard Daisuke giggle once again.  Arching an eyebrow, she asked, "What's so funny, Goggle Boy?"

Daisuke blushed, slamming his notebook closed.  "Nothing, nothing!"

"Uh-huh."  Miyako didn't believe him for a minute.  For the past few weeks Daisuke had been acting funny, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly was different.  He'd certainly become quieter than usual.  She wasn't sure if she should be worried or not, though.

"Daisuke, look!"

Then again, she reflected as she watched Chibimon balance a stack of erasers on his head, if Chibimon wasn't worried she probably shouldn't be either.

"Heh, cool, Chibimon," Daisuke said with a laugh.

"Oh, can't you two ever be serious?" Hikari asked with a hint of exasperation.

"If we have to," Daisuke said, shrugging his shoulders.  He helped Chibimon put the erasers back and then picked the little Digimon up and carried him back to their seat.  "Now why'd you call us all here, Miyako?  I've got soccer practice in half an hour."

"And I've got kendo," Iori added as he entered the room, arms full of snacks from the vending machines.

"I've been doing some thinking about this new Jogress evolution stuff—all right, so I've actually been doing a lot of thinking about it.  I mean, what is it exactly that gives us the ability to Jogress Shinka in the first place?  I think I finally managed to figure out the reason that Hikari and I were able to Jogress evolve, and that's because we now have a really strong friendship.  From what little I've been able to gather, Jogress evolution involves a deep rapport and trust, not just between Digimon, but between their human partners as well.  I can't quite figure out Daisuke and Ken, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daisuke asked suspiciously, breaking off a chunk of what looked like a Twinkie before feeding it to Chibimon.

Miyako held up her hands defensively.  "Nothing, Daisuke.  It's just like I said.  Hikari and I have strong friendship based on trust and accepting out differences.  It seems to be different for you and Ken, however.  Jogress evolution seems so easy for the two of you to achieve.  And sometimes it seems like you and Ken are one person, like Exveemon and Stingmon are when they're Paildramon."

Daisuke blushed at Miyako's wording, remembering how he'd been able to feel Ken's heart beat right along with his own the first time Paildramon appeared, but didn't say anything. 

Chibimon couldn't figure out why everyone was so tense, especially Daisuke.  He wished that Minomon were there to explain it to him.  All he knew was that Miyako was talking about Jogress Shinka, specifically Daisuke and Ken.

"Daishuke likes Ken and Ken likes Daishuke.  I like Minomon and Minomon likes me.  Why wouldn't it be easy when we're friends?" the little digimon asked, looking up at his partner in confusion.

"Anou…did I miss something?" Takeru asked in confusion as he walked into the computer room, Patamon draped as always atop his head.  He was surprised to see that Daisuke's cheeks were red, and he seemed to be avoiding looking at anyone but Chibimon.

"Not really," Miyako said with a shake of her head.  "We were just discussing Jogress evolution."  She turned her head, frowning slightly.  "Daisuke's being a brat, as usual."

Glaring at the use of his childhood nickname, Daisuke retorted, "Well, at least I'm not some seventh-grade geek, stuck hanging out with the younger kids."

Miyako's eyes narrowed.  "Dork."

"Nerd."

"Jerk."

"Only for you, geek!"

"Smartass."

"One of us has to be!"

"Bastard."

"Iyan, my parents were married when I was conceived!"

"You…you…you…"

Daisuke smiled innocently.  "Casanova?  Goggle Boy?  Genius?  Cutie?"

"Argh!"  Miyako threw her hands up in the air, startling Poromon.  The little pink fuzzball with a beak fell off the desk, landing on the floor.

"Miyako-san!  Are you all right?" he asked, blinking his wide blue eyes up at her in dismay.  She sounded as though she was in pain.

"I'm fine."  Miyako sighed, glare now half-hearted at best.  "Okay, you thoroughly kicked my butt that time.  So what's the score now?"

Smoky-brown eyes widened in surprise.  "Score?"  As if some sort of lightbulb had gone off over his head, Daisuke reached down and began to dig around in his backpack, muttering under his breath.

Hikari, Takeru, and Iori had all watched the exchange with a mixture of confusion and surprise.  The way Daisuke and Miyako were bantering back and forth was nothing like the way they usually fought.  And since when had Daisuke become such a quick wit?

"Ah-hah!"  Daisuke pulled out a severely crumpled piece of notebook paper with a triumphant grin.  Unfolding it, he tried to smooth it out as best he could on the desktop.  "Wow.  Do you realize that we haven't kept score in over a year, Miyako?"

"Really?"  Miyako blinked in astonishment, moving over to Daisuke's side to peer at the paper over his shoulder.  "Kami-sama, you're right!  I didn't think it had been so long."

"Anou, what are you two talking about?" Hikari asked in confusion.

"Yeah.  For a moment you almost sounded like friends," Takeru added with a teasing laugh.

Daisuke and Miyako shared a look.  "We used to be," Daisuke said softly.

Miyako looked away uncomfortably.  "Daisuke and I…  Our sisters are really good friends; been that way since they were in grade school.  Since my parents had to run the store, and Daisuke's parents spent a lot of time away from home on business, we usually spent our days after school at one or the other's house with our sisters."

"So what happened a year ago?" Iori asked, picking up his bouncing Upamon.

Daisuke shrugged, looking down at the desktop as he fed the last of the Twinkie to Chibimon.  "Don't know.  Miyako started making all these friends, and then she'd always have plans during holidays…  I just turned my attention towards soccer even more, and that's one interest we never really shared."

"Not true!"  Miyako placed her fists on her hips, expression indignant.  "I went to every single one of your games, Motomiya Daisuke, rain or shine!  I was there when you broke your arm three years ago and we had to drag you off the field because you didn't want to leave.  I was there when you kicked that ball into the face of the Setagaya A-team's star forward so hard that he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher because he was unconscious.  I was there when you made your first goal all the way back in kindergarten, for kami's sake!  And every time I was cheering for you, Daisuke, because you were my friend and you were doing something you loved."

"But where were you last year, Miyako?"  Daisuke asked his question softly, not looking up.  He was beginning to wish that he hadn't come to the day's meeting, that the past hadn't been dredged up.  He was worried that he might fall apart in front of everyone else, and he didn't want that, didn't want them to see him without his mask.  Only two people were allowed that privilege—and Jun didn't count.

"I made it onto the Tokyo-wide team last year, you know," he continued, rubbing Chibimon's ears.  "I was one of the youngest players there and in three weeks of competition we played teams from Osaka, Sapporo, Nara, Kyoto, Kumamoto, and Nagano.  It was a lot of fun…I met a lot of really nice people, from all over.  But no one ever came and saw one of my games.  Otousan and Okaasan were always out of town on business or stuck in meetings, and Jun was always busy with cram school or her friends."  He was trying to keep up a brave face, but it was still a fairly recent hurt.

Miyako slumped down into the chair beside Daisuke, laying a hand on his shoulder.  They'd known each other for too long for him to be able to pull off any sort of charade on her.  "Dai-kun, why didn't you say anything?"

He looked up at her then, and his expression surprised her.  He was smiling slightly, the kind of innocent little smile that he used to have when they'd been younger, far different from the almost smirking grin she'd grown used to seeing lately.  But there was a lingering pain written in that smile, and in his smoky-brown eyes that didn't sparkle quite right.  "You seemed so happy that I didn't want to get in your way.  You'd always wanted to have friends, to be needed and loved, and I didn't want to ruin it for you once you had it."

Bowing her head, Miyako muttered, "Daisuke, sometimes you can be such a moron."  She looked up, catching his eye and arching an eyebrow.  "Now listen up, Daisuke, and listen good.  From now on, no matter what, whenever there is something important in your life I want you to tell me.  I'm your friend, Daisuke; we've been friends since we were in preschool."  Her expression softened and she smiled hopefully.  "Understand?"

Daisuke smiled tentatively in return, feeling as though some sort of heavy weight on his heart had been lifted—he hadn't even realized that it was there, but now that it was gone he felt happier than he had in a long time.  "I understand."

"Good."  Miyako beamed brightly, slugging him none-too-gently in the shoulder.  "Otherwise I'll have to tell everyone about the time you dressed up in my clothes and we went to the high school's fair and made ourselves sick off cotton candy because the students kept giving it to the 'two cute little girls.' "

"You just did tell everyone, Miyako," Daisuke said tightly, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Daishuke."  Chibimon reached up, patting his cheek.  "Daishuke, why're your cheeks hot?  And why were you wearing Miyako-san's clothes?"

Everyone laughed good naturedly, and for once Daisuke didn't feel as if they were laughing at him.

"I was four," Daisuke said with a small laugh of his own.  "I figured Miyako's clothes were as good as my own.  How was I to know that boys weren't supposed to wear dresses?"

"Oh, come on, Daisuke, even I knew by age four that boys didn't wear girl's clothes," Iori said dryly, green eyes dancing with amusement.

"I'd lived a sheltered life."  Daisuke pouted prettily, eyes wide and wounded.  "I can't help it if my unusual upbringing caused me to grow up gender-confused."

"He kind of has a point," Hikari said after a moment, thinking back on her own childhood.  "I spent so much time with Taichi-niichan that I used to dress like him all the time.  Imagine poor Daisuke having only his sister, and Miyako and her sister, as his role models."

Takeru nodded in agreement.  "I guess.  Wait a minute, though.  How do you explain my brother's taste in clothes then?  He was raised by our dad."

Daisuke grinned, holding up two fingers.  "Two things, Takeru.  One, your brother is a J-rocker in the making and heading on his way toward full-blown visual kei appearance.  And two, you're brother's…rather in touch with his feminine side."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Takeru asked suspiciously.

"Oh, come on!"  Daisuke rolled his eyes, setting Chibimon down so that he could join the other digimon, who were congregating over by the chalkboard.  "I've seen the pink apron, Takeru-kun.  Not to mention the bunny slippers.  I even helped him paint his toenails, so don't try to give me any of that innocent stuff."

Hikari fought to stifle a giggle at the mention of painting Yamato's toenails.  "When was this, Daisuke-kun?"

"Last week.  Taichi-sempai and Yamato-sempai had me over for dinner."

Takeru's eyes grew really wide and his face turned a startling shade of red.  "They did what?!"

Daisuke waved his hand, slouching down in his chair.  "Taichi was teaching me some new soccer drills and Yamato showed up to give him a ride over to your dad's apartment for dinner.  When they found out my parents were out of town, they invited me to join them.  You know, Takeru, the only ones who think it's still a secret are Yamato and Taichi.  Well, and my sister and Sora-san."

"Ch', and here I've been trying sooo hard not to say anything," Takeru said, shaking his head.  He looked at Miyako and Iori, expression curious.  "Did you two really know?"

It was Iori that responded first.  "Well, let's see.  The fact that your brother and Taichi-sempai got into a fight that looked more like an excuse to cop a feel was my first clue.  Adding to that the fact that they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other no matter what, I figured it out pretty quickly," he said, tone as dry as usual though you couldn't miss the amusement that hovered underneath.

"Oh my," Hikari murmured, blinking in surprise.  "Iori, are you okay with that?  I'd understand if you weren't, and Takeru-kun and I can talk to our brothers…"

Iori shook his head with a smile.  "I study kendo, Hikari-san.  Ojiisan teaches me that what's important isn't the love of the body, it's the love of the spirit.  And I could tell that your brothers love each other very much."

"I still think it's a tragic loss to the single female population of Odaiba," Miyako said with a grin.  Then she winked, adding, "But they do look sooo cute together!"

Daisuke blinked for a moment after that comment, then promptly dissolved into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Miyako demanded, watching as Daisuke struggled to keep from falling out of his chair.

"N-nothin'!" he said at last, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he returned to an upright position.  "It's just…I never figured you for a closet shounen ai enthusiast."

Miyako blushed, wrinkling her nose as she stuck her tongue out.  "I'll get you for that, brat."

"I'm right here waiting, geek."

Just then, the sound of the school clock ringing out the hour was heard, and all of the Chosen Children glanced at their watches.

"Oh, kami-sama, Jiichan's going to kill me!" Iori groaned, racing to pick up his backpack and Upamon.  He carefully put the digimon inside, partially closing the top.  "I'll see everyone tomorrow!" he called over his shoulder as he raced out the door.

Daisuke grimaced and shook his head.  "I'm gonna be late too.  Damn.  And I was hoping to beat him there for once.  Oi, Chibimon, we need to go!"

Chibimon looked up from where he was drawing little stick figures on the chalkboard, smiling brightly.  "Hai, Daishuke!"  He jumped down and walked as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, holding his arms up to Daisuke once he reached his Chosen Child's feet.

"Ready to go play?" Daisuke asked with a grin, settling Chibimon into his favourite perch:  Daisuke's arms.

"Un!"  Chibimon nodded his head enthusiastically, red eyes alight.  "Let's go, Daishuke!"

"Dai-kun…"

He looked over at Miyako as he was heading for the door, pausing in his tracks.  "What is it, Miyako?"

She smiled at him shyly, hands laced together in front of her.  "I know it's only a practice, but would it be okay if Poromon and I came to watch?"

"Please?  Please?" Poromon echoed, bouncing up and down on the desktop.  "I haven't seen a soccer game since you played the Tamachi team."

Daisuke faltered.  "Well, it's kind of a private practice with a friend, but, I…"  He trailed off, thinking back on how well the day had gone.  Miyako, I'd like for you to be my friend again.  "I'd like that, Miyako."

Miyako sighed in relief, bowing slightly.  "Thank you, Dai-kun."  She settled her backpack in place and picked up Poromon.  She smiled at him broadly and gestured for him to lead the way.  "I'll be right behind you, brat."

"Geek," Daisuke retorted with a laugh as they headed out the door.

Hikari and Takeru lingered in the computer lab after the others had left, each of them contemplating the meeting that had just taken place.

"You know, I think I learned more about Daisuke-kun today than I have in the last year," Hikari said, glancing over at Takeru.

"I know what you mean.  It's almost like he's a completely different person."

Hikari shook her head.  "I don't think it's quite like that, Take-kun."

Takeru rested his chin in his hands, watching her with wide-eyed appreciation.  "Then what do you think it is?"

She blushed under his scrutiny but didn't look away.  "It's more like we're finally getting to see the real Daisuke.  You heard what he and Miyako were saying.  The Daisuke we met was nothing more than a mask."  Her gaze dropped, and she looked at her hands, laced tightly together in her lap.  "And I never once noticed."

"Don't take it so hard, Hikari-chan," Takeru said with a crooked grin.  "Daisuke's good at hiding things, especially when he doesn't want people to take notice.  Take this for instance:  did you know that he gets caught kicking the soccer ball around in school on purpose?  It took me awhile to figure out why, though."

"No, I didn't know.  Why on earth would he want to get caught?"

Takeru's expression was impish as he told her the Goggle Boy's secret.  "I began to notice that Daisuke always got caught kicking the soccer ball around sixth period on Thursdays.  It turns out that he has Foods that period, and the teacher practically hates him."

"But why?" Hikari asked in confusion.  Sure, Daisuke could be annoying, but he was too madcap to be hated.

"Daisuke-kun apparently makes a mean strawberry cheesecake," Takeru said with a laugh.  "The way I heard it, they had a tasting party in class, and everyone preferred Daisuke's to the sensei's.  Needless to say, she was not amused.  Even since then, she's tried to sabotage anything that Daisuke tries to make."

"Won't Tatsuma-sensei try and flunk him, though?"  Hikari felt a hint of worry; she didn't want Daisuke to be left behind when the rest of them moved up a grade.

Takeru held up his hand. "Here's the real kicker.  She can't flunk him without due cause, and she's been quoted as saying that she doesn't count attendance, just the quality of the food her students produce.  If she tried to flunk him, all Daisuke would have to do is cook for the reviewing board and they'd revoke the failed grade."

Hikari laughed, imagining Daisuke running around in Yamato's pink apron, frantically trying to prepare food for an entire reviewing board.  But then, after a moment, a thought came to here that made her frown.  "You know something, Take-kun?  I think that Daisuke's a lot more intelligent than he's been letting on.  This thing with Tatsuma-sensei took a lot of careful thought."

"I know.  That's part of the reason I was so shocked when I found out."  He sighed, glancing out the window.  "I don't know what happened to make him so much more open lately, but I hope that something doesn't come up to change it.  I'd like to get to know him better."

"Me too."  Hikari touched his hand, smiling gently.  "Let's go home before our parents send out the Brother Brigade."

"Patamon, Tailmon, we're heading home now," Takeru called out.

Tailmon looked up from where she was curled, slightly peeved that she would have to leave her warm sunbeam.  But, since it was Hikari and Takeru…  "Come on, Patamon," she said, nudging her companion.

"But I was having such a good dream," the flying digimon protested with a sigh, shaking himself awake.

"As soon as we get home you can go to sleep again," Takeru said with a laugh.

Patamon perked up at that.  "Promise?" he asked, winging over and dropping down lightly atop Takeru's head.

"Promise.  Hikari-chan?"  He held out his hand, waiting while Hikari picked up Tailmon.

"I'm ready," Hikari said, placing her hand in his as they walked out the door.

*****

"Daisuke-kun, why are we at the train station?" Miyako asked, hanging on to the back of Daisuke's vest so as not to lose him in the crowd.

Daisuke flashed her a grin over his shoulder, continuing forward to the platform.  "It's the quickest way to Tamachi."

Quickest way to Tamachi?  Then he must be playing with—

"Saa, Ken-kun's going to kick my ass for being late," Daisuke continued with a shake of his head.  "I even thought we might make it there early for once.  Oh well!"

Once on the train, pressed cheek-to-jowl with a multitude of strangers, Miyako took the time to think a bit more.  Daisuke's unusual behaviour—well, unusual behaviour compared to the way he'd been acting in the recent months past—had begun not long after the Kaiser's downfall in the Digitalworld.  She knew that he and Ken had become rather close friends in that short amount of time, but was that the reason for Daisuke's sudden change in attitude?

She could understand now that he'd been acting out of hurt before, even if he hadn't realized it.  She herself had thought nothing of their arguments—at least not until today.  She berated herself mentally for not noticing that what had once been playful bantering had become more personal, more vindictive, more angry.

Miyako looked fondly at the auburn haired boy who was beaming down at Chibimon, tucked away safely in the haven of his arms.  Daisuke had always been like a little brother to her, from the time they were in preschool to the present.  She remembered how just last week she'd gotten angry at Upamon for suggesting that she and the Goggle Boy were alike.  But it was the truth, and she could admit that now; they'd grown up together, so it was only to be expected.

Daisuke had always been shy, though; she could remember countless times as little kids that he would come running over at recess and hide behind her because his classmates were picking on him.  He'd hated to be called on in class, afraid of messing up when everyone was looking at him.

And look at him now, Miyako thought with a wry smile.  Daisuke seemed to have gotten over his fear of messing up in front of people, because there were days that it seemed like he went out of his way to mess up.  She, herself, was still very self-conscious of what her peers thought of her, and she admired Daisuke for being able to laugh off his mistakes.

She also knew that Daisuke wasn't as "dumb" as he tried to make himself appear.  He'd always been quicker at picking up their kana lessons as kids, and he used to tutor her in social science.  Now Miyako was realizing all the things that had changed in the past year, and she wondered at how she hadn't noticed.

"Daisuke…"

He looked up at her with a smile, eyes questioning.  "Nani, Miyako?"

She smiled in return, her own eyes a little bit sad.  "You were always better at hide-and-seek, weren't you?"

"Yeah."  Daisuke arched an eyebrow, wondering why she had asked that particular question.  "What about it?"

"Nothing."  Miyako shook her head, running her fingers through Poromon's feathers.  "Just…thinking, that's all."

"Well, don't think too hard," he quipped with a wink.  "I'd hate to have you spontaneously combust."

"Brat!"  She laughed at the thought, though, eyes bright with amusement.

"You know it!"

The rest of the train ride passed quickly, and soon the two were debarking in the Tamachi district.  Daisuke once again took the lead, knowing exactly where he was heading.

"Do you do this often?" Miyako asked, moving to walk alongside him.

Daisuke frowned, a slight blush appearing on his face.  "Anou…do what, Miyako?"

She grinned, wondering what he'd been thinking about that had made him blush.  "Play soccer with Ken-kun."

He shrugged, looking down at the top of Chibimon's head.  "Well, as often as we can.  Ken usually has quite a bit to do between schoolwork and after school activities.  We usually manage to play once a week.  His excuse to his mom is that he's practicing in the off season."

Miyako arched at eyebrow at that.  "Off season?  Since when is there an off season in soccer for you?"

"There isn't," he replied with a grin.  "Besides, Ken missed tryouts for the Tokyo-wide team last year, and he wants to try and make it this year.  It'd be great if we could both make it; none of the other teams would stand a chance!"

Biting her lip, Miyako said, "With your brains and Ken-kun's brawn, you'd be a great duo."

"Yeah!  And—"  Daisuke came to a sudden stop, turning to look up at her with a haunted expression.  He then smiled weakly and shook his head with a laugh.  "What are you talking about?  Everyone knows that I'm one of the dullest fireflies in the lantern."

"Don't try that on me, Dai-kun," Miyako said sharply, startling both Daisuke and their digimon.  Her expression softened, but her tone remained earnest.  "You may not be a genius, Daisuke, but I know that you're a lot smarter than you make yourself out to be.  Hell, you were the only kid in second grade to get straight A's all three trimesters!  Why do you do this to yourself?  Why do you try to make yourself out to be a person you're not?"

Daisuke frowned in thought, motioning for them to keep walking.  He clutched Chibimon a little tighter and the digimon patted his arm in reassurance.  "At first, I wanted to do everything I could to make my parents proud.  I tried to be the best at everything I did, whether it was sports or academics.  But Kaasan and Otousan were always so busy that I…  Well, I guess I began to not care after awhile.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I still do the best I can at everything I do, but I don't really do it for them anymore.  And when you're only doing things for yourself…it doesn't seem as important, as noble, as it used to."

"I know what you mean," Miyako said with a sigh.  "But, Daisuke, aren't your parents home a lot more now?  I thought your mom got transferred back to the company's Odaiba offices."

"She did—take a left here!  And Otousan moved to a desk job in the sales department.  But it's almost like, now that they're home, I don't want to be there.  I don't want to be their good little son anymore.  Did you know I haven't brought home a report card in the last three years and they haven't asked me for one?  My parents are almost dead certain that I'm failing school, yet they never bother to actually ask me.  The same thing for Jun-neechan.  I think that's why she developed this sudden boy-craze, thinking it would be a good excuse to get out of the apartment."

"So chasing Yamato-sempai is an excuse?" Miyako said with a laugh.  "No wonder she keeps dragging Misao-neechan out with her.  There's no telling what those two are doing in reality."

"Probably cleaning the CD stores out of their merchandise," Daisuke said, laughing with her.  "She really does like him," he continued more softly.  "But I think she knows, deep down, that he's not the one for her.  Jun can be a hopeless romantic, but I wouldn't have her any other way."

"Look, Daishuke!" Chibimon chirped, pointing with his paw up ahead.  "There's the soccer field."

And standing in the shade of a tree at the sidewalk's edge, dressed in a pair of athletic shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers, was Ichijouji Ken.  He waved when he caught sight of them, and Miyako was surprised to see that the black haired boy was smiling.  Even now, with the Kaiser put behind him, he always seemed to be so sad; there seemed to be a permanent cloud of despair that hovered around him whenever they met.

But it wasn't in evidence right now, not in the slightest.  In fact, Miyako hazarded to think to herself that Ken looked positively sunshine radiant.

Chibimon wiggled out of Daisuke's arms, scurrying as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.  "Keeen!  Where's Minomon?  I wanna play!"

Ken laughed, crouching down to rub the digimon's ears.  "Minomon fell asleep in my bag over by the bench."  He smiled and said conspiratorially, "I think he's slept long enough, don't you?  Why don't you go wake him up?"

"Yeah!" Chibimon squeaked, racing over to the open duffel bag.  There was a muffled sound of startlement as Chibimon disappeared inside the bag, and then the sound of two laughing digimon could be heard as the pair tumbled from the bag.

"Conspiring against your own digimon?" Daisuke said with a gasp, clutching his hands over his heart as if wounded.  "How low will a Chosen Child stoop?"

Ken seemed to think about it for a moment.  "Pocky bribes," he said firmly, pale eyes twinkling with mischief.

Daisuke's eyes lit up at the mention of Pocky.  "Really?  Where?"

"Not until after practice, Motomiya," Ken said, waving his finger.  His expression seemed stern, but the humour in his eyes was all too apparent.

Miyako coughed politely, reminding the two boys of her presence.  To her surprise, Daisuke blushed and put his hand behind his head with a nervous laugh while Ken seemed to be infinitely fascinated with his sneakers.

The Child of Kindness looked up after a moment, a shy smile on his face.  "Konnichiwa Miyako-san, Poromon.  Would you like to join Minomon and Chibimon, Poromon?"

Poromon perked up at that, ruffling his feathers.  "Can I, Miyako?" he asked.

"Of course!" Miyako said, setting him down.  They laughed as he bounced down the small incline, his momentum throwing his balance off so that he accidentally knocked Minomon and Chibimon over.  "Anou…does this mean I got a strike?" she asked with a wry smile.

She was surprised even more when Ken giggled—giggled!—at her half-hearted attempt at a joke.  Is this the side that only Daisuke's been able to see? she wondered, thinking that a smile suited him very well.  If it is, I guess I should feel honoured.

"Miyako wanted to come and watch me kick your butt," Daisuke said with a grin, eyes half closed as he tipped his head to the side.

"Are you sure she didn't come to watch me kick your butt?" Ken asked with his arms crossed over his chest, a slender black eyebrow arched.

He was cute, Miyako thought with a sigh as she watched them banter teasingly back and forth.  Especially when he was so open, something that she wasn't used to seeing from him.  If Ken had been a girl, she might have been jealous of his good looks.  As it was, she considered him the epitome of masculine beauty; he was going to break all the girls hearts when he grew up, hers no doubt included.

But she wasn't there for Ken, she reminded herself with a sharp shake of her head.  She hadn't even known that was who Daisuke had been practicing against.  "Actually, Ken-kun, I came to watch Daisuke," she said.  "After all, I'm supposed to be his number-one fan."

Daisuke ducked his head, grinning abashedly.  "Saa, Ken, you heard her.  I guess I'm just a ladies magnet."

Ken snorted, but his expression was one of fond humour.  "That's what I'm afraid of, Daisuke."

There was a pregnant pause, and Miyako felt as though she were missing something—something big and important—as the two boys simply stared at one another.

But then Daisuke laughed, leaning forward to poke Ken on the tip of the nose.  "Come on, Ichijouji, we haven't got all day.  Last one there buys ice cream next time!"  And with that he took off down towards the field.

"No fair!" Ken shouted, laughing as he raced after Daisuke.

Miyako sighed, making her way down to the bleachers in a more leisurely fashion.  She watched as Ken tackled Daisuke from behind, shaking her head as they rolled out onto the middle of the field.  "Boys," she muttered, rolling her eyes.  Well, at least she'd have a good view from the stands.

Daisuke stood up after a moment, laughing so hard that his sides hurt.  He helped Ken to his feet, both of them hanging onto each other until they could regain their balance.

"So, who lost?" Ken asked, picking grass off of Daisuke's vest and shirt.

"I don't know.  I think my brain rattled loose when you tackled me!" Daisuke said with a laugh.

Ken shook his head, gently touching Daisuke's cheek with a smile.  "You can be so silly sometimes, Daisuke."

Daisuke winked and touched a finger to his lips.  "I know.  But don't tell anyone, all right?  It's our secret."

While Ken was laughing, he turned to their digimon, playing on the sidelines.  "Yo, Chibimon!  Toss out the soccer ball, would you?"

"Hai, Daishuke!" Chibimon said with one of his cute smiles, fetching the ball and throwing it out as hard as he could.

Daisuke gave the digimon a thumbs up when it rolled far enough to touch the tips of his sneakers.  "Good one!"

He picked up the ball, tossing it in the air a couple of times to gauge the weight.  Dropping it down onto the grass, he asked with a grin, "Ready?"

Ken's eyes narrowed as he settled himself onto the balls of his feet.  "Always."

Miyako had to admit that for two boys who had quickly proven to be the best of friends, Ken and Daisuke sure didn't pull their punches.  "Oooh, that had to hurt."  She winced in sympathy as Ken executed a rather aggressive sweep to try and steal the ball that knocked Daisuke off his feet.  The two went down in a nasty tangle of limbs, the ball rolling onward without them.

"Do they always play like this?" Miyako asked her digimon companions.

Minomon nodded with a laugh, tumbling from his perch atop Chibimon's head. 

"Nee, what happened, what happened?" Chibimon asked, dancing impatiently on the bench.  Minomon had been standing on his head because they couldn't see their Chosen Children from their seat in the bleachers with Miyako; Minomon had been giving him a play by play until he'd fallen off his head.

"Ken-chan and Daisuke fell down again," Minomon said.

Chibimon flopped down on the bench with a dramatic sigh.  "Again?!  But that's the fourth time today!"

The two boys stood up, dusted themselves off, and then Daisuke went to retrieve the ball.  "They are going to be sooo black and blue when they're done," Miyako said with a shake of her head.

The two digimon to her right began to giggle, whispering conspiratorially.

She raised an eyebrow at their behaviour.  "All right, what are you two talking about?"

Chibimon giggled, eyes closed as he placed one paw behind his head in a very Daisuke-like gesture. "Eh-heh, nan demo nai, Miyako-san!"

Miyako didn't believe them for a moment, but turned her attention back to her two friends.

"Daisuke won't be black and blue after your Ken-chan kisses him better," Chibimon snickered to his friend.

Minomon giggled along with him.  "Hai!"

"That was one hell of a practice session!" Daisuke said with a groan, dragging his feet towards the sideline.  "Ken, I think you gave me bruises in places I didn't know I had!"

"I don't want to hear it, Daisuke-kun," Ken said from behind him, tossing the ball up in the air and catching it again.  "You got in your fair share in the assault and battery department."

Daisuke paused, throwing him a look that was a startling cross between sly and sultry.  "Nee…I promise to make it up to you later, Ken-kun."

Ken flushed, but his lips twisted into a smile.  "Daisuke—"

"Mou, you two are a pair of idiots, you know that?" Miyako snapped from where she stood by the bench, her hands on her hips.

"Hai, Miya-chan!" Daisuke said with a flippant grin, flashing a V-sign. 

Miyako groaned, burying her face in her hands.  "Daisuke, don't call me Miya-chan."

"Hai, Miya-chan!"

The soccer ball bounced off the back of Daisuke's head, and the auburn haired Chosen Child turned to glare at Ken.  "What was that for?" he asked with a pout, rubbing the back of his head.

"What are you talking about?"  Ken blinked his eyes innocently, hands behind his back.  "Daisuke, are you imagining things again?"

Daisuke gave him a look—one that promised revenge later—and turned back to Miyako.  He grinned, picking up Chibimon who came rushing towards his feet.  "So, what did ya think?"

"I still think boys are absolutely nuts," Miyako said with a wry smile.  "Only men would enjoy beating each other up while they kick a ball around and have the nerve to call it a sport."

"Oi, soccer's not like that!" Daisuke protested.  "It involves training, conditioning, strategy, dedication, and—"

"Kisses," Chibimon piped up, smiling innocently.

"Hai, and kisses.  Kisses?!"  Daisuke squawked, glancing down at his digimon companion in disbelief.  "Chibimon!"

"Hai, Daishuke?"  Chibimon blinked his red eyes innocently.

Miyako blinked.  "Kisses?"  She looked at Chibimon in confusion.  "What do kisses have to do with soccer, Chibimon?"

"Yeah, Chibimon."  Daisuke smiled tightly, waiting for his friend to respond.

Chibimon continued his innocent act.  "You know.  Like when you and Ken get done and you complain about how much you hurt.  You always say you'll kiss it better."

"I think you've been watching too much American television, Daisuke!" Miyako said with a laugh.  

Daisuke blinked.  "Is that where I got it from?  Ch', I thought it was somethin' I picked up from Mimi-san!"

"And where does Mimi currently live, hmmm?" she replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Eh-heh…New York?"

"Hai."  She took a moment to pause as Ken went and put the soccer ball in his duffle bag, while Daisuke picked up both of their digimon and helped them into his open backpack.  She thought she heard the Goggle Boy say something to Chibimon about sharing a chocolate bar with Minomon.  "So what are you two doing now?"

"Saa…"  Daisuke trailed off, a heavy blush on his cheeks as he looked at Ken for help.

"Daisuke asked me to help him study algebra.  He didn't do so well on his last test," Ken said, pushing at Daisuke's shoulder with a small smile.

"It's never been my best subject," Daisuke said with a rueful grin, pushing back as he stood up, his backpack and their digimon settled into place on his back.  "And with fighting the Dark Tower digimon and Archnemon and Mummymon, I haven't exactly had a lot of time to sit down and try to puzzle things out on my own.  You don't…mind goin' home alone, do you, Miyako?  If ya want, I could ride the train home with you and come back to Ken's right after."

"Iya," she said with a shake of her head.  "I'll have Poromon to protect me, won't I?"

"That's right, Miyako!" the little bird digimon chirped, beaming brightly with pleasure at her faith in his abilities.

"See?  So go on, you two.  I wish you the best of luck, Ken-kun.  Daisuke sometimes needs a heavy hand, though, when it comes to tutoring; he has a tendency to get easily sidetracked."

Ken's expression seemed to indicate he already had personal experience with the matter, a small smirk twisting his lips, violet eyes bright.  "Yeah, I noticed."

"Oiii, no ganging up on the Goggle Boy!" Daisuke protested with a pout.

"Oh, who says?" Ken laughed, slapping him lightly in the back of the head.

"It's an unwritten rule in Chosen Child lawdom.  The Goggle Boys are not to be subjected to their fellow Chosen Children ganging up on them," he returned loftily.

Miyako snickered.  "Uh-huh, sure.  Anyway, I'll see you two later?"

Daisuke grinned and nodded.  "Un!  Chosen Child meeting on Monday after school."  He turned to Ken, head tipped slightly to the side.  "Ready to go?"

"Hai.  Mata ne, Miyako, Poromon."  Ken bowed politely and hoisted his duffle bag over his shoulder, heading up the small grassy incline to the sidewalk.

"Jaa!" Daisuke called over his shoulder with a wave once they all reached the pavement, joining his friend and throwing an arm over his thin shoulders.  He said something to the other boy, eliciting a yelp and then a peeling laugh.  Ken then leaned his head against Daisuke's shoulder as they shuffled down the sidewalk away from her.

It was one of those odd moments, Miyako thought, when it seemed as though things were too clear.  There was something she was supposed to be seeing that she wasn't, something that was plain in front of her, but made obscure by that lucidity.

What is it? she wondered, head absently tipped to the side as she watched the backs of the two boys fading in the distance.

It wasn't the fact that they were touching…or was it?  No, Daisuke had always been a rather tactile person, and he and Ken were often leaning on one another, putting a hand on the other's shoulder in reassurance, holding hands to tug the other in the right direction.

But there was something about their contact that was off.  Maybe it was…  Yes, she decided, that had to be it.  It was the pose that seemed off.  It was the way Daisuke's arm was slung companionably around Ken's slender shoulders; it was the was Ken leaned his head almost unconsciously, comfortably against Daisuke's shoulder; it was the way they walked, slow and fluid, together in every step.  They were synched, and even though she felt a tug on her heartstrings as she thought the worst, an odd part of her noted how right it seemed.

"Miyako?  Daijoubu?"

"Huh?"  Miyako glanced down at Poromon, blinking owlishly.  "What'd you say, Poromon?"

Poromon ruffled his feathers.  "You looked pensive.  I was asking if everything's all right."

"Saa…"  She looked up one more time, catching sight of Chibimon waving and Minomon attempting to wave from their perch inside Daisuke's backpack before the boys rounded the corner and were lost from sight.  "Yeah, I'm fine, Poromon.  Let's get home." 

She'd probably imagined it, she decided with a sigh and a shake of her head.  Ichijouji Ken was just a crush, she told herself, but still…a girl needed her dreams, right?

Even if what I saw is…what I saw, can I deal?  Daisuke's like a little brother, but could I handle losing Ken to him?

Miyako groaned.  "Have I mentioned I hate my life?"

"Not in the last hour," her digimon companion chirped.

"Oh, hush, featherbrain."